A wiki is a website with one or more pages that can be edited by a number of people. Wikipedia is a famous example of a wiki. From an educational point of view, students probably learn more from making a wiki than from simply having access to one.
You create a new page by clicking the + sign next to Pages and Files in the menu on the right. This will open the page in edit mode. Once you're done editing, click the Save button.
You edit an existing page by clicking the Edit button top right on the actual page (not in the menu). You some limited tools for editing text, inserting links, files (including pictures), tables and comments. You can also insert widgets of many kinds, such as embedded videos. (More on widgets below...)
The edit toolbar
You can have many people editing a wiki, but only one person can edit a particular at a time. If you are having many people work on a wiki together, it is best to assign people to pages, especially if everyone is to be working at the same time. (Otherwise, consider using Google Drive).
You can remove or rename pages via the Pages and Files link on the right.
You can change settings for the wiki via the Manage Wiki link on the right.
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2. Embedding widgets in wiki pages
Widgets are little bits of code that can be embedded into (i.e. placed inside) a web page, providing a particular useful functionality. Typically this involves copying and pasting a short bit of code from some other website (e.g. from YouTube) and this will place a video inside your page.
When you have a button open in edit mode, you will find the Widget button in the middle of the toolbar.
This will bring up a menu with a large range of available widgets:
The first option on the menu says Wikispaces and offers widgets related to the wiki you are working in, e.g. a tag cloud displaying all the tags for the pages in that wiki.
The next twelve options list widgets for commonly used websites, e.g. YouTube, scribd, slideshare, flickr, etc.
The last button, Other HTML allows you to simply copy and paste an embed code for a widget that is not listed in any of the other menus, e.g. Diigo bookmark tag.
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3. Some useful features of wikis and ways to use wikis
Features
Wikis are websites that can be used by a large number of collaborators, whether synchronously (at the same time) or asynchronously (not at the same time).
Wikis usually have lots of options for embedding content using widgets, unlike Google Documents.
Wikis can be formatted as self-contained websites and you can easily control who has access, unlike the school portal.
You have more flexible editing options and you can more easily shape the structure of a wiki than you can with the school portal.
Uses for wikis
You can use a wiki as a hub for a project that involves other tools, e.g. surveys, blogs, videos, chatrooms, mindmaps, timeline tools, twitter updates and more.
They are very useful for collaboration projects involving people in different locations.
You can use wikis in conjunction with other tools, e.g. students who are going to publish a finished product can use a wiki along the way to discuss and provide peer feedback.
Sample uses of wikis:
1001 Flat Worlds Tales project: A project involving English students from around the world working to produce a blook - a series of interlinked blogs with stories in the manner of 1001 nights.
Build your textbook - divide up a unit (or a larger part of the syllabus) and have the students build an interactive textbook for it.
Use a wiki for DP classes preparing case studies - ideally in collaboration with students in other schools. Embed diigo bookmark tag for research links, YouTube videos with relevant educational material.
Now it is time for you to practice. Scroll to the top and click on the + sign next to Pages and Files in the menu up on the top right. Go ahead - don't be scared - this wiki is meant for you to experiment with!... (just not this front page...)
Enter a name for the page, enter some tags that describe what the page will be about (you can always edit the tags later on if you missed something) and then click Create.
Try inserting images (click the File button up on the edit toolbar)
Experiment with tables to achieve multiple columns
Insert Links to other websites
Try embedding a YouTube video (you can find the embed code for a YouTube video by clicking the Share button under the video in YouTube, then the Embed button and copy and paste the code into a widget in Wikispaces).
How can you use wikis in your teaching?
Purpose of this wiki:
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1. Wiki basics
A wiki is a website with one or more pages that can be edited by a number of people. Wikipedia is a famous example of a wiki. From an educational point of view, students probably learn more from making a wiki than from simply having access to one.You create a new page by clicking the + sign next to Pages and Files in the menu on the right. This will open the page in edit mode. Once you're done editing, click the Save button.
You edit an existing page by clicking the Edit button top right on the actual page (not in the menu). You some limited tools for editing text, inserting links, files (including pictures), tables and comments. You can also insert widgets of many kinds, such as embedded videos. (More on widgets below...)
You can have many people editing a wiki, but only one person can edit a particular at a time. If you are having many people work on a wiki together, it is best to assign people to pages, especially if everyone is to be working at the same time. (Otherwise, consider using Google Drive).
You can remove or rename pages via the Pages and Files link on the right.
You can change settings for the wiki via the Manage Wiki link on the right.
...
2. Embedding widgets in wiki pages
Widgets are little bits of code that can be embedded into (i.e. placed inside) a web page, providing a particular useful functionality. Typically this involves copying and pasting a short bit of code from some other website (e.g. from YouTube) and this will place a video inside your page.When you have a button open in edit mode, you will find the Widget button in the middle of the toolbar.
This will bring up a menu with a large range of available widgets:
...
3. Some useful features of wikis and ways to use wikis
Features
Uses for wikis
Sample uses of wikis:
..
4. Next step...
Now it is time for you to practice. Scroll to the top and click on the + sign next to Pages and Files in the menu up on the top right. Go ahead - don't be scared - this wiki is meant for you to experiment with!... (just not this front page...)